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HELIO SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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Chapter 13
1.
I looked at Equinox for a moment.
There was something different about him.
He must’ve sensed the entire conversation I had with Nocturne. That made sense—he could read thoughts.
Sure enough, the aura surrounding Equinox’s spirit form was unlike before.
A thick killing intent clung to him, and crimson eyes had taken shape, glaring straight at Nocturne.
Nocturne didn’t back down—the gem in his body flared with red energy in defiance.
After briefly organizing my thoughts, I spoke.
“Nocturne’s suspicious of you. He thinks there’s a reason you’re helping me without asking for anything in return.”
“Oh?”
Equinox turned his gaze toward me.
He looked me straight in the eye and spoke in a chilling tone.
“And what do you think, Master?”
“I don’t know.”
What Nocturne said had weight.
Nothing in this world comes for free.
That’s why it seemed like a good time to figure out where Equinox truly stood.
‘After all, a deal should always be clear.’
As that thought crossed my mind, Equinox responded.
“Heh heh heh... It’s only natural that you’d think that way. I’m not helping you for nothing either.”
“Then what is it you want from me?”
When I asked, Equinox gave Nocturne a quick sidelong glance, then turned back to me and answered.
“I want you, Master.”
Honestly, I’d expected something like that.
If that weren’t the case, he wouldn’t be doing all this for me.
Nocturne flared with hostility.
- See? I was right, wasn’t I? That old man Equinox can’t be trusted. We should burn him to ash right now!
“Burn me?”
Equinox chuckled dryly and looked at me again.
“Do as you please. But you've already set foot on the path of the necromancer. And I'm the only one who knows how to walk it. Your former master? He was just enchanted by a copy of me—a shadow. What he taught you was nothing more than empty tricks. With those memories alone, you’ll never reach the Power of Eternity.”
He paused, eyes glinting.
“Surely you don’t think that with just two newly-formed mana rings, you can master necromancy... Do you?”
Equinox’s point hit home.
He had given me a new kind of power—opened the door to a world I’d never seen.
It was nothing like the teachings from my past life.
Clearly, my old memories weren’t enough to move forward anymore.
As I stayed silent, Nocturne began to hum with agitation and spoke in a sharp, desperate tone.
- Please don’t fall for that old man’s twisted words, Master. We can always find another source of necromantic knowledge. In my 160 years of life, I’ve come across several necromancers. If we follow their traces, I’m sure we’ll find a better teacher than this con artist.
“Hah! How dare you place me on the same level as some dime-a-dozen necromancer?”
Equinox exploded with genuine fury.
But I had no desire to watch these two argue.
I stepped in and cut things off before it got worse.
“Enough, both of you. I’ve made my decision.”
- Master, please. You mustn’t give in to him!
“Quiet, Nocturne. You’re in no place to say that to me.”
- What… What do you mean by that…?
His voice trembled, full of hurt—but that didn’t matter to me.
I answered him with a cold, unwavering voice.
“You almost killed me.”
Nocturne went silent.
Equinox let out a chuckle, his voice laced with amusement as he spoke.
“That's right, little monster. Master knows full well about the sinister energy you’re hiding. You pretend to be loyal, act all meek on the surface—but deep down, you’re stewing in foul desires. Now, who do you think revealed that to him? Hmm?”
- You old bastard…
Nocturne’s voice trembled with rage.
He couldn’t deny it—his secret was out in the open, and he knew it.
Seeing that, Equinox leaned in slightly and said in a low, coaxing tone.
“This is your chance. Crush him now. With your current strength, you could erase him in an instant.”
“Enough, Equinox.”
I shook my head and continued.
“Nocturne is my comrade. So from now on, show him some respect.”
Equinox’s glowing red eyes shimmered as he bowed his head.
I turned to Nocturne as well and spoke firmly.
“And you! Stop doubting Equinox. I’ll deal with him myself if anything goes wrong. Understood?”
- …Yes, Master.
Once both of them had fallen silent, I turned back to Equinox.
“Alright. You said you want me. But you already know, my soul is pledged to the Demon Lord, Illinas.”
“What does it matter? The body already belongs to you. Once you obtain the power of eternity, your soul will no longer be separated from your body. The Demon Lord won’t be able to interfere.”
“So what you want isn’t my soul, but my body?”
Equinox didn’t answer immediately.
Arms crossed, he slowly paced in a circle, deep in thought. Eventually, he stopped in front of me and spoke.
“Do you truly want to know what I desire?”
“Yeah. We can’t make a deal unless that’s clear, right?”
“A deal, huh…”
Still pondering, Equinox gave a slow nod.
“Yes. This is a deal—an agreement where we both give and take.”
“Exactly. Until now, I’ve only been on the receiving end. And I know there’s more I’ll receive from you. So in return—what do you want from me?”
A crucial question. If I didn’t clarify things now, he might try to claim something outrageous later.
I watched him silently. After muttering to himself and nodding a few times, Equinox finally answered.
“What I want is both your soul and your body. But…”
He met my eyes and continued slowly.
“Right now, your soul is bound, and your body is incomplete. So until then, I’ll remain as your second guardian spirit and assist you.”
“So you're saying, until I become a complete necromancer, you’ll serve as my guardian spirit?”
“Correct.”
His gaze had calmed now, steady and composed. Watching him, one question surfaced.
“And when that time comes—if I refuse to give you my soul and body—what will you do then?”
“I’ll do everything in my power to take them from you.”
Hmph. So he’s saying he’ll take them by force if it comes to that.
A dozen calculations flickered through my mind.
No matter how I looked at it, this deal worked in my favor.
‘There’s still room to maneuver.’
I didn’t know the full extent of Equinox’s power, but one thing was certain—he didn’t have a physical body.
‘No matter how powerful a disembodied spirit is, there are limits.’
If I could inherit the full power of necromancy...
If I could wield the power of eternity freely...
Could Equinox truly overpower me then?
Even as I ran through these thoughts, Equinox stayed silent.
What was he thinking? What did he really want that he’d agree to terms so loose?
I couldn’t say for sure—but I let it go.
Because in the end, this deal overwhelmingly favored me.
So, I slowly nodded—and accepted Equinox’s proposal.
"Alright. Let’s do it."
I held out my hand toward him and asked.
"So what now? Do I have to drive out the White Serpent and let you in?"
"No. That won’t be necessary."
Equinox pointed to my chest and spoke slowly.
"As your mana rings have multiplied, a new guardian spirit slot has opened up—just below the heart. Place me there."
- Master, this is way too suspicious…
Nocturne tried to speak up, but I set him down on the ground.
Then I crossed my legs and sat in place, opening my mental world.
‘Let’s see here.’
Just as Equinox had said, a new space had formed below the heart where no such thing had existed before. It had appeared as a result of the four mana rings now stabilizing and supporting the surrounding flow.
As I examined that area, I spoke to Equinox with my soul’s voice.
[Alright. I’ve confirmed it. Go ahead, do as you planned.]
Once I gave permission, Equinox’s spirit body turned into a thick black aura and flowed directly into the space near my heart.
As he fully settled in, his voice echoed inside my mind.
[A wise decision. Now that I’ve taken my place as your guardian spirit, you’ll gain two powerful abilities.]
[What kind of abilities?]
[First, you’ll be able to read the thoughts of any living being who meets your gaze. Second, the total mana capacity your rings can hold will increase. That means both the number of spells you can cast and their potency will be significantly amplified.]
Just hearing it was enough to realize how incredible it was.
More mana, and a boost in magical power too.
But I didn’t have time to dwell on it.
A searing heat surged through my chest, and once again, I fell into a trance.
Now acting as my new guardian, Equinox purified my mana rings faster than ever before—and with every cycle, a strange vibration began to stir.
Only much later did I realize those tremors had awakened something deep within the mountain.
＊ ＊ ＊
To the southwest of the Holy Nation of Calios stands a mountain range said to be the most treacherous on the continent.
Its name—Sanctuary of the Earth Dragon.
The name predates even the founding of the Holy Nation, and few know exactly why it's called that anymore. But the village chief of Heinz—the small village nestled at the base of that mountain—had heard the tale.
‘A very old tale…’
He thought, stroking his long white beard as he looked up at the mountain.
At a glance, it didn’t appear particularly menacing. But once you passed through the entrance, the air shifted entirely.
Jagged rocks loomed like beasts about to spring to life, and a sinister fog clung low to the ground.
It was a place that easily swallowed people whole.
Many who entered lost their way. Hidden swamps, sticky and damp, consumed some without a trace. And then there were the legends—ominous and impossible to ignore.
- Once every hundred years, the Earth Dragon awakens to mate. If disturbed during this time, it will raze the entire region to ash. If you hear the dragon’s roar, you must evacuate the village for at least a year. That’s the only way to survive.
It was something the chief had heard from his grandfather as a child—and his grandfather had heard it from his grandfather.
Though ancient, no one dared dismiss the story, not when there were artifacts backing it up.
Inside the chief’s home and the village hall were relics passed down for generations.
The chief’s eyes drifted to one hanging on the wall of the hall—a slab of melted iron bearing the imprint of a foot. It was massive, taking up nearly the entire wall, and yet it showed only two of the creature’s toes.
Beneath the footprint, partially embedded, were human bones.
According to legend, they belonged to King William I, the ruler who had once established a kingdom in this very land. When the Earth Dragon appeared, he and his fledgling nation were wiped out, his bones buried here forever.
Had he lived, his kingdom might have rivaled even the Holy Nation of Calios.
‘But now… what should we do?’
It had already been fifteen days since he sent the young men to the Holy Nation to request help.
If they were to return with an investigation team, it would take at least another two weeks.
Originally, he had planned to wait before taking action.
But that was no longer an option.
A few days ago—The mountain began to roar again.
Wraaaaaaarr—
A deep, vibrating cry that shook the entire region. It felt unmistakably ominous.
The villagers couldn’t take it anymore. Fearful and restless, they had come to the village hall to seek the chief’s guidance. Even now, in the dead of night, the hall was packed with anxious townsfolk.
“Chief, we can’t live like this anymore.”
“How long are we supposed to just sit here?”
“Shouldn’t we just evacuate, like the elders used to say?”
Each time they asked, the chief gave the only answer he could.
“Just a little longer. Wait until the Holy Nation’s team arrives.”
‘Please, let them come soon…’
He prayed.
And then…
RUMBLE—
A tremor unlike any they had felt before. The ground began to shake beneath them.
Everyone in the hall rushed out onto the balcony that overlooked the village.
And what they saw made their blood run cold.
“Wh-What is that?”
“This can’t be real…”
“It’s tearing through the village!”
It looked as if a giant mole were tunneling beneath the earth—an enormous ridge of upheaved ground advancing from the southeast, tearing straight through Heinz.
Every house in its path was obliterated. The upheaval continued to surge forward.
Its destination—The Sanctuary of the Earth Dragon.
The chief could no longer hesitate.
“Everyone, go home and pack your things. Be ready to leave by morning.”
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HELIO SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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